Jacoba “Cobi” S. Leo passed away April 1, 2018. She was born April 16, 1917, in Sassenheim, Holland. She grew up sailing and camping with her friends on the canals. Her father owned a tulip farm and she sometimes traveled to the U.S. with the family on business trips. Before WWII she was the director of a preschool in Den Dolder, Holland. The preschool closed due to the war and she aided in the anti-Nazi efforts.
After the war, Cobi was in the United States visiting her brother, John and met Bob Leo on a train to New York. Bob and Cobi corresponded for a time and eventually married in Italy in 1949. They were married for 68 years.
They moved to different places in the US before settling in Bozeman in the early 60’s. Cobi started the Country Flower Shop with Marguerite Kirk and was active in the local garden club. She enjoyed gardening, pets, trying new recipes, and traveling the world with Bob. She also enjoyed singing Dutch nursery rhymes to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was a good cook and enjoyed hosting Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners for the family.
She is survived by her husband, Robert Leo; younger brother, John Kapteyn; daughter Joyce (Robert Lee); son, Brian Leo (Kathleen Brossoit); grandchildren, Mike (Jami) Lee, Sara (Rick Wollum)Lee, Larry (Sammie Dalton) Lee, and Mary (Josh) Thompson; great-grandchildren, Foster Lee, Molly, Zoe, and Lilly Center, and Abigail, Emmett, and Clara Thompson; and nieces and nephews, Bruce Kapteyn, Amy Welch, Joyce Smalley, Diek Kapteyn and Else VanBiezen-Kapteyn. She is preceded in death by her brother, Boudie; parents, Johan and Margaretha Kapteyn; nephew, Hans Kapteyn; and sisters-in-law, Riet Kapteyn and Tini Kapteyn-Arentshoorst.
Cremation has taken place. Memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
